Gangjeong Struggle Reached 4,000 Days & Beyond/ A New Era. No THAAD Base Construction! No Naval Review!/ The Night for the Memories of Vietnam and Jeju/ Kings Bay Plowshares/ Gangjeong Villagers Join Annual Okinawa Peace March/ Women of the Philippines & Jeju Talk Militarization / Gangjeong is April 3rd/ Sewol Ferry Tragedy Remembrance/ No SMA! No Money for USFK!/ Ann Wright Visits Gangjeong Village/ Mang-gi Chose Prison in Refusal to Pay Fines/ Poetry Night: No Jeju 2nd Airport/ Nullify the 2nd Jeju Airport(Air Base) Project!/ International Women’s Day for Peace and Disarmament/ad. On Inter-Island Solidarity Peace for the Sea Camp in Jeju 2018 etc.
In the article on Kings Bay 7 (page 3), a sentence is corrected to “They pled not guilty and expect a trial date to be set in early August.” (rather than “They pled not guilty and are awaiting trial in early August.” Pre-trial hearings are expected on Aug. 3)
A Symposium for the Denuclearization of Jeju/ Kim Kwan-jin, THAAD, & Lockheed Martin/ Father Mun Chose Prison/ The 6th Year Anniversary of Gureombi Rock Blast/ / 37 Days’ Fast Against Corporation Welfare/ Peace Award to Okinawa/ The Epitaph Covered Under Mural Painting of Lotuses/ Rohingya Refugees Demand Human Rights / Nuclear Cruise Missiles and Zumwalt/ Former President Lee Myung-Bak Jailed Amid Corruption Scandal / Cruise Terminal Construction/ Moseulpo Radar Base / Trial Updates / “No Jeju 2nd Airport” Poetry Night/ etc.
In this December 2017/January 2018 Issue Edition :
Withdrawal of Navy Lawsuit, Start of New Year; Rejecting Militarism on the 80th Anniversary of the Nanjing Massacre; Martha Hennessy’s St. Francis Peace Center Visit; Naval Blockade & Nuclear Posture Review; Nuchi Du Takara (All Life is a Treasure); International Solidarity (Solidarity with Ahed); ‘Sirens normalize the potential for war’; Round 3 of Jeju 2nd Airport Contention; Trial Updates ; “Night & Day” Recital; Peace School Updates; More on The Memory of the 25th Hour; etc
In this issue, there are many issues that we could not include due to limited space. All they are precious to share. Please check out some links among those:
The view from the Japanese fighter plane hangar. (Photo: Song Dong-hyo)
At 3 PM on December 13, 2017, People Making Jeju to be a Demilitarized Peace Island and Inter-Island Solidarity for Peace of the Sea co-hosted the fourth annual Nanjing Massacre 80th Anniversary Memorial at Alddreu Airfield, in Daejeong, Jeju, remembering and facing the tragedy of war, pledging to eliminate the factors that make war possible, aspiring together for peace in Northeast Asia, and honoring the souls of the victims.
Opening song (Photo: SH)
Salpuri dance (Photo: Joyakgol)
80 years ago, Japanese fighter planes bombed the city of Nanjing in preparation for their invasion in which 300,000 (mostly Chinese civilians) were killed over the course of 6 weeks. The planes used Alddreu Airfield in Jeju, which was built by the forced labor of over 70,000 local people. Remembering this past, 50 people gathered on December 13 at Alddreu Airfield and declared that Jeju must not be used for making war and causing so much suffering again. With no navy base and no second airport we must make Jeju a real peace island.
Solidarity Message (Photo: SH)On the other side of Halla Mountain from here the government wants to build a new airport and air force base at Seongsan (Photo: SH)
During the ceremony there was music and dance, poems, a solidarity message sent from Okinawa, short speeches from Daejeong Women Farmers’ Association, from the Seongsan struggle against the second Jeju airport/air force base and from Gangjeong, a presentation of thirty flowers to honor the victims, and a memorial statement.
Offering flowers (Photo: Song Dong-hyo)
Memorial Statement:
We remember December 13, 1937, eighty years ago today. The massacre, rape, murder and looting by the Japanese in Nanjing. There was no humanity in that place. For 300,000 lives that cannot be summed up in one figure, we offer a silent prayer for their deaths. We remember this tragedy.
First of all, Jeju was used as a springboard for the massacre. Japan mobilized over 70,000 Jeju residents to build the 198 hectare (490 acre) airfield. Alddreu Airfield was a stronghold for Japan to cross the sea to bomb cities such as Nanjing and Shanghai. With a total of 36 airstrikes, 600 flights and 300 tons of bombs departing from Jeju, countless Nanjing civilians were wounded and killed.
Now, 80 years later US warships and nuclear submarines are frequenting the navy base in Gangjeong. The problem has arisen of air force plans to use the Jeju second airport. Not only is “Island of Peace Jeju” a facetious title, but one cannot help but suspect that the island is an outpost of the US against China. Is Jeju, and is the Korean peninsula, then and now just a place of strategic military importance for powerful countries?
There is surely no peace that came through war. So that there will be no more Nanjing Massacres, we remember that bloody history and how Jeju was mobilized in that day. Jeju must become a demilitarized peace island for the peace of East Asia and the whole world. We must preserve our right to live peacefully.
People Making Jeju a Demilitarized Peace Island, Inter-Island Solidarity for Peace of the Sea
There were about 50 participants total in the memorial ceremony. (Photo: Song Dong-hyo)
Steady Onslaught of Foreign Warships at the ‘Island of Peace’/Trump is not welcome!/ Please Sign The 4·3 Petition/ Maine Peace Walk for Conversation & Community/The Real Name of ‘Seoul ADEX 2017’ is ‘Murder Weapon Exhibition’/ Remembering Yang Yonbg-chan/ Visits from Okinawa and Japan/ The base’s illegal monitoring and human rights violation/ The SCM and the Jeju navy base/ The Hunger of Kim Kyung-bae: 42 day fast against the 2nd airport/Trial Updates/ A Long Journey to Peace – Two Grandpas’ Story/ Keep Space for Peace Week in Soseong-ri and Gangjeong/Peace Education Update/ Tabling in Seogwipo/ Queer Festival etc.
Nov. 23 press conference (Photo by Choi Hye-young)
It was for the 1st time that a US nuclear submarine came to Jeju . Still, there was no prior media report about the entry of US nuclear submarine into the Jeju navy base which means even the media reporters could get the news at the last minutes. It was peace activists in Gangjeong who discovered it first. And strangely, there was not a TV broadcasting company in the press conference on Nov. 23, which is unusual. We suspect that the navy is really trying to hide the fact of the entry of US nuclear submarine into the Jeju navy base from the eyes of Island people and the world! WHY!
The SSN Mississippi (SSN-782) which entered the Jeju navy base at 10am, Nov. 22 and is known to leave next week is a quite an offensive arm which can penetrate close to the coast of so called enemy country and destroy its big cities in 2 -3 minutes with its 12 Tomahawk cruise missiles and torpedo. It has attacked Iraq, Afghanistan, Kosovo etc. And known to be one of the most threatening arms to North Korea. It is told to have left Yokohama US base, Japan on Nov. 10 and joined a war exercise near the Jeju sea before coming to Jeju!
In Dec. 1991, the North and South Korea governments made a joint declaration of ‘non-nuclear zone of the Korean Peninsula,’ which prohibits military use of nuclear. The declaration was made effective in Jan. 1992. By the declaration, allowing the port-entry of nuclear submarines is in violation of the joint declaration. (South Korea has no nuclear submarine so far)
North Korea has carried out nuclear tests 6 times since 2006. The government of George Bush Jr had targeted North Korea as one of seven countries in its Nuclear Posture Review. And the US and South Korean militaries have conducted war exercises which includes the scenario of preemptive strike against it and decapitation of its leadership.The joint declaration has already been broken. Still it is important for South Korea not to arm itself with nuclear since non-nulclearization of the Korean Peninsula is a necessary premise for peaceful unification of Korea.
It that sense, the agreement by Presidents Moon Jae-in and Trump to introduce military strategic assets which include acquirement of nuclear submarine by South Korea was already regrettable.
US nuclear submarines have entered the naval ports of Jinhae and Busan in the south of Korean peninsula for more than 10 years with accidents not well known to the public.
However, the significance of Jeju navy base is in its geopolitical location. It is closer to China and was built to ‘ protect southern sea lane.’ which means the ‘South Korean’ base was primarily built to contain China, on behalf of US Strategic flexibility policy.
That is why the visits by US nuclear submarine or any further strategic assets to the Jeju navy base is threat to the stabilization and peace of the region.
We have resisted long time to stop the construction of the Jeju navy base because it would greatly destabilize so endanger the peace of the region. And what about the UNESCO-designated soft corals, dolphins and other unspeakable lives?
How about the possibility of radiations? Who get profits from this endless war exercises and military buildup?
US Nuclear submarine out of Jeju!
All warships, go away!
Close the Jeju navy base!
Stop the militarization of Jeju!
Jeju is not for a garbage and radiation dumping ground by foreign militaries!
(The navy says there will be no radiation dumping by the SSN Mississippi. But even if it could be true, how about possible radiation release of radiation during its stay in the Jeju navy base!)
Photo by Joyakgol
The status of foreign warships’ visits to the Jeju navy base, 2017
(left on June 20)–> The ship had to unexpectedly leave the port around 6 pm on the same day, cancelling its participation in a joint war exercise with Canada and South Korea, because of discovery of damage in its equipment. Its departure was 10 hours after its docking into the base.
US MCM_14, Chief, enters the jeju navy base on Sept. 26, 2017 Photo by Park Inchun
According to Park Inchun, it was 9:28:24 am in the morning of Sept. 26 that a USS mine countermeasure ship called ‘USS Chief, MCM-14’ entered the port of Jeju navy base. We haven’t heard the purpose of its visit. But its homeport is Sasebo, Japan. It belongs to the 7th fleet of the US Pacific Command.
Trump does not care to make the Korean peninsula as a battlefield (in the name of alliance!) regardless of Korean citizens’ lives. Jeju is not an exception. In any outbreak of war, Jeju would be one of the launching sites. It can be attacked first. We do picketing for the reason to save innocent young lives who may be first sacrificed in the war, also.
Chief, US Mine Countermeasure ship, Get out of Jeju. Photo by Mangi
…………………………………..
_The Strengthening of invasive launching bases: Iwakuni-Sasebo-Okinawa-Jeju_
According to Koh Young-Dae, SPARK, the US marine bases, Iwakuni, Japan, which has recently been massively consolidated, would be operated as an invasive launching base in linkage with the US navy base, Sasebo, in case of outbreak of Korean or other wars. It was the role of Iwakuni during the Korean war, 1950-1953. Sasebo provided ammunition during the Korean war in the past. It can provide ammunition to possible war or emergency in the Korean peninsula in the future as well. In Sasebo, US assaults ships and mine countermeasure ships are stationed. (It is also known to be one of the strategic points along with Okinawa and Jeju)
Kog Young-Dae has said the Jeju navy base is a foothold for the integrated Ballistic Missile Defense system in the Northeast Asia region. The ROK-US-Japan maritime war exercises occur in the Jeju Sea. The sea between Jeju and Sasebo (located on the same latitude with Jeju) is one spot.
[Aug. 15-31] USNS Henson (T-AGS-63), a pathfinder class oceanographic survey ship, surveyed the Jeju sea water.
[Aug. 30] USS Wasp (LHD-1), a multipurpose amphibious assault ship, leaves toward Sasebo
(*In between, THAAD deployment is completed with the deployment of additional four THAADF launchers in Soseong-ri, Seongju, main land of Korea)
[Sept. 18] The two US strategic bomber B-1B and four F-35 B made joint exercise with four F-15 stealth fighter planes of South Korea in the air over the Korean peninsula. The US military planes which flied from Okinawa and Iwakuni dropped bomb of exercise-use into the firing range in Gangwon province. The total cost of planes mobilized on the day amount around $ 1.6 billion USD
(Hankyoreh, Sept. 18)
[Sept. 21] The United States Forces of Korea visit the Jeju navy base (As of Sept. 21, New York time, there was a ROK-US-Japan summit meeting)
[Sept. 23] US B-1B Lancer and F-15 fighter planes flied to the northern tip of the Demilitarized zone and went to north crossing the Northern Limited Line (NLL) in the east side (So called The East Sea/Japan Sea) (Hankyoreh, Sept. 23)
[Sept. 26] The USS Chief, MCM-14 entered into the Jeju navy base, It belongs to the Pacific fleet of the US navy, Its homeport is Sasebo.
[October] A nuclear-propelled US aircraft carrier assault group including Ronald Reagan is planned to make joint exercise with South Korean navy over the sea water area of the Korean peninsula (Hankyoreh, Sept. 23)
Photo: Mangi(1, 2), Park Inchun (3: USS MCM 14 Chief entering into the Jeju navy base on Sept. 26)
In this August/September 2017 Edition (Specially 8 page):
2017 Jeju Grand March for Life and Peace/ Ishigaki peace camp 2017/ The18 hours’ resistance against THAAD / IPAN calls for THAAD OUT OF KOREA/ Why Iwakuni? / The Colonization of Guam/ Miyako Mothers for a Peaceful Future/ Ishigaki Elders Call for No More War/ Henoko Blue/ Report on the solidarity trip to Korea/ Alliance for Arms Deal/ The Strategic meaning of the Jeju Naval Base and THAAD/ Update on the navy lawsuit/ Dugong Lawsuit Revived in US Courts/ Unilateral Government Information Meeting on the 2nd Jeju Airport Dissipated by the People/ USNS Henson surveyed the Jeju waters/ Sept. 2, the sixth year remembering the Gureomi fence/ Keep Space for Peace week/ May Rest Cho Young- sam and more.
Concern about ‘A Main Military Foothold for the US in the Region’/ Korean citizens surround the US embassy/ Lindis Percy visit to Jeju Island/ Bruce Cummings visit to the village/ The Women’s Struggle is Winning!/ Song of Sanrizuka’s elderly activist/ Government should drop the SLAPPs!/ Is the 2nd Airport Necessary?/ Lift the bans/ Jeju Dolphins in Danger of Offshore Wind Turbine Development/ Trial updates/ Living Citizens School/ “Unending Story” Peace Concert Remembering the Korean War/ Christian Forum for Reconciliation in Northeast Asia/ Advertisements on 2017 Grand march and Peace sea camp etc.
2017 Jeju Grand March for Life and Peace
July 31st (Mon.) ~ August 5th (Sat.)
Also join us for the Festival on the Eve of the Jeju Grand March for Life and Peace
July 30th (Sun.) 6 p.m. (Gangjeong Village Community Hall 강정마을 의례회관)
Peace, Forward Together! Peace Is the Way, and We Are Peace. As we pray together for peace in Jeju and peace for all of us., we will march together in Jeju again this year. All participants will start from Gangjeong Village at the beginning and meet at Jeju City at the March’s conclusion. In between, the participants will divide up into two processions, which will each walk around one side of Jeju Island’s perimeter – one group along the eastern half and another group along the western half. In addition to Gangjeong, the whole of Jeju has been suffering from the remilitarization of the island, including communities that have been struggling against the construction of a second airport. This year we have changed the event’s name to the “Jeju Grand March for Life and Peace” because we are marching to protect peace in all of Jeju.
☮ Participation Fee
Partial – Participation per day: Adult 20,000 KRW, Youth 10,000 KRW (Participation fee is waived for preschoolers)
Full – Participation in the entire March: Adult 90,000 KRW, Youth 50,000 KRW.
Official T-shirts may be purchased separately – 10,000 won.
6- 9 PM: Pre-March Festival (Outside the Gangjeong ceremonial hall)
Monday, July 31
7- 8 AM: Grand March on-site registration and departure (in front of the navy base)
8- 8:30 AM: Grand March Departure Ceremony (in front of the navy base)
8:30 AM: Departure of the East March and the West March
Saturday, August 5
6- 9 PM: Life and Peace Festival (Tapdong Oceanfront Stage, Jeju City)
☮ March Course
Date
West Course
East Course
Monday, July 31
Gangjeong-Jungmun-Andeok (18 km)
Gangjeong-Seogwipo-Namwon (24 km)
Tuesday, August 1
Andeok-Daejeong-Hangyeong (21 km)
Namwon-Pyoseon-Shinsan (22 km) +Festival
Wednesday, August 2
Hangyeong-Geumneung-Hallim (16 km)
Shinsan-Onpyeong-Seongsan (14 km)
Thursday, August 3
Hallim-Gwakji-Aewol (10 km) +Festival
Seongsan-Sehwa-Gujwa (18 km)
Friday, August 4
Aewol-Hagwi-Halla Sports Center (19 km)
Gujwa-Hamdeok-Jocheon (13 km)
Saturday, August 5
Halla Sports Center- Meet the East course in Jeju City- Tapdong Oceanfront Stage (15 km)
Jocheon- Meet the West course in Jeju City-Tapdong Oceanfront Stage (17 km)
☮ Housing and Meals
During the March, housing and meals are included. Participants sleep on the floor on thin foam mats in gymnasiums along the course of the march, but alternative dormitory style housing in Gangjeong is available for international participants. Participants should prepare their own pillows/sheets/sleeping bags as needed. Most of the gymnasiums also have places that participants can pitch their own tents. If you have your own tent, sleeping bag, etc. you can sleep more comfortably. Please bring your own toiletries (tooth paste, tooth brush, shampoo, towel, etc). You might want to bring a raincoat/ poncho just in case. It would also be useful to prepare bug spray and itch cream.
On Sunday the 30th before the march and on Saturday the 5th after the march, participants can sleep in Gangjeong ceremonial hall or the peace center, etc. but these places might be very full so participants are encouraged to consider finding separate housing on those days. (International participants can stay the village hall dormitory at this time). If you plan to return to Gangjeong from Jeju City on the night of the 5th, please let the preparation team know so we can prepare.
☮ The baggage truck
During the march, a truck follows us carrying our baggage. Participants can but their bags in the truck in the morning, and find them again in the evening at the gymnasium where we sleep. Then you don’t need to have a heavy bag while you walk.
In this April/May 2018 Edition :
